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Posts Tagged ‘Mercury in Aries’

Astrology Update, April 25th, 2017: Bright Day, Restful Night

25 April 2017Written by Madame Ximon0 Comments

This morning got started in the wee hours with a challenging square from the Moon in Aries to Pluto retrograde in Capricorn, putting our emotions and instincts at odds with the hidden and transformational forces in our lives, and ratcheting up our obsessive tendencies and fears of losing control. For those of us in the Western Hemisphere, this aspect most likely only troubled our dreams, but for those of us who were awake at that hour we may have found ourselves engaged in unexpected power struggles regarding our autonomy, particularly in relation to work or in dealing with the institutions in our lives, and those of us waking up early may have still experienced residual frustrations or impediments to our self-direction as a result of this aspect.

The rest of the morning was fairly quiet until around midday when the Moon in Aries conjuncted Uranus in Aries, increasing feelings of restlessness as it amplified our desire to be free of restrictions. Technology and nerves may have been impacted as Uranus has an electrifying quality that can fry circuits of both the organic and inorganic kind, especially for those of us with a strong kinesthetic sense and those of us with Sun, Moon, Ascendant, or personal planets in the third decanate of cardinal signs. We may have received unexpected news or experienced disruptions to our usual routines, but also may have experienced breakthroughs resulting from the connection of our unconscious with Uranus’ intuitive genius.

That intuitive boost could have been carried forward into the afternoon as a result of the Moon’s next interaction, a conjunction with Mercury retrograde in Aries that put our thoughts and emotions on the same motivated page, working in unison toward our goals. That said, having our thoughts subject to our moods may have impacted our decision-making ability, and we may have found ourselves highly distracted, with our thoughts and feelings changing rapidly, especially given the Aries tendency to chase everything new and shiny. Still, we were much more likely to be vocal about our feelings during this time, so it could have been a good opportunity to give voice to our emotions that we might be hard-pressed to express otherwise.

Later this afternoon the Moon in Aries trined Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius, bringing a bit more seriousness and discipline to our mood, allowing us to focus on practical matters and push through adversity to get things done. After the expressiveness of the Moon conjuncting Mercury, the trine to Saturn may have brought on an abrupt about-face in terms of our willingness to share our emotions with others, not out of a desire to hide them per se, but rather out of a heightened sense of self-sufficiency. Whatever eccentric or experimental tendencies we experienced under the earlier Moon/Uranus conjunction, this afternoon and early evening we are more inclined to stick to methods that are tried and true, and take a more conservative approach overall. This is especially true since this aspect starts a void-of-course period that encourages us to stick to routine for several hours, unconsciously processing the lessons of the past few days’ lunar transit through Aries, and avoiding any new enterprises as we wrap up old business and tend to things that need fixing or refining.

Tonight the Moon enters Taurus, settling down a bit from the energetic fervor of Aries and taking on a more practical and comfortable tone. Taurus is the fixed earth sign most concerned with how things get done on the material plane, desirous of fiscal and physical security and willing to go the distance to secure home and its comforts, but also recognizing the need for rest, relaxation, and enjoyment of the good life when the day is done. Tonight we are likely to want to enjoy our creature comforts and sensory pleasures, as Venus rules Taurus after all, and Venus is currently transiting dreamy and sensual Pisces. Our enjoyment of the arts is increased by this transit, and chances are that we won’t adhere to our diets as strictly, nor be in much of a hurry about whatever we want to do – Taurus likes to take its time and enjoy life, even when hard at work.

Late tonight the Moon in Taurus trines the North Node in Virgo, emphasizing our path toward growth and personal achievement in a gentle and supportive way, so that we instinctually focus on our souls’ desires and what we need to do to achieve them. There is a pleasing sense of fatedness about this aspect, a sense of all being right with the world and our slow but steady progress in it, that sets the stage for tomorrow morning’s New Moon in Taurus, and the intentions we set for ourselves with it. Since this aspect will still be loosely in orb at the time of the New Moon, and it’s the only lunar aspect that the Moon will make for the first half of the day, it will be a quietly supportive New Moon with a focus on the Taurean virtues of steady persistence, care of the body, and rest, so tonight is a perfect night to do just that – rest and relax, dreaming kindly intentions for our bodies and our practical needs for this upcoming lunar cycle.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming one of my supporters on Patreon, where I have posted the digital art that accompanies today’s analysis here, along with some background on its creation. Not only will you get an inside look into my divinatory art, but you will also help keep this blog alive and me writing and creating art daily. I am incredibly grateful for my supporters!

Or, if you’re not into the monthly pledge thing but still want to show some support and get some art in the process, please visit my RedBubble page, where a selection of my digital art and my divinatory drawings are available printed on everything from clothing to notebooks to cellphone cases, as well as art prints. My Etsy shop is also a good place to visit for both printed art and wearables, as well as my hand-crafted herbal dream pillows. Every sale helps me to continue what I do here, and I deeply appreciate the support!

All aspect times used in creating this post are calculated for Pacific Standard Time. I tend to speak in broad terms when I reference time on this blog, referring to time-frames like “morning” or “afternoon” rather than specific times, since I still have a lot of friends on the East Coast who read these posts and I’d like them to be pertinent to those friends as well as folks here on the West Coast. Readers from further abroad will need to adjust time-frames accordingly.

Please keep in mind that we all have different responses to the aspects of the day because we all have different natal and progressed charts with which these aspects interact. If you would like to know more about your own natal and progressed charts in order to better understand how the aspects of the day will affect you, please take a look at my astrological services, and let’s get started on helping you to understand your life better! The threads of fate can only be adjusted when we start from a place of deep self-knowing.

Astrology Update, April 24th, 2017: Lasting Consequences

24 April 2017Written by Madame Ximon0 Comments

Today has been dominated by this morning’s trine from Mercury in Aries to Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius, heightening the discipline of our minds and lending seriousness to our thoughts and communication. This aspect will continue to lend us mental fortitude for the next couple of days, so now is a good time for financial planning, communications regarding legal matters, studying and any mental activity requiring concentration, as well as any careful and detailed work. Now we are able to see both the forest and the trees, so this is a great time for writers and editors, especially in technical fields, although those working in a more creative capacity may find that side of their writing limited during this time, as we are thinking more conservatively under this aspect. Mentor relationships are favored now as well, as we are more open to hearing advice from those who are more experienced than us, but otherwise we are likely to be less sociable than usual, more interested in practical dynamics and more likely to get straight to business than wasting time with social niceties. Our persistence and problem-solving skills are both enhanced by this aspect, and the combination means that we will stick with even the most difficult tasks until they are done.

This aspect was followed this morning by a trine from the Moon in Aries to Black Moon Lilith in Sagittarius, aligning our key sources of unconscious wisdom to lend some receptive and immersive support to whatever serious pursuits the Mercury/Saturn trine had us paying attention to during the first half of the day. We may have found both our independence and our focus especially heightened during this time, and most likely were unusually sure of what we wanted and just how we were going to achieve it. Chances are that this kept us going full steam for much of the morning and possibly into the afternoon as well.

Tonight the Moon in Aries opposes Jupiter retrograde in Libra, amplifying our feelings of independence. Though we are likely to feel good under this influence, and maybe even a bit boisterous despite the seriousness of the Mercury/Saturn trine, still the opposition between our feelings in a self-directed sign and our faith and beliefs in a sign concerned with relationships can heighten awareness of where we feel restricted by the demands of others. We are likely to be generous with our time and energy if left to our own devices and truly interested in giving of ourselves to someone else, but we are likely to resist attempts to manipulate or coerce us into actions desired by others, and even if the Mercury/Saturn trine leads us to yield to persuasion out of a sense of responsibility, such action is likely to result in resentment and even anger that will not die down easily. Now is a time when we are far more likely to question demands made on us in relationships and social situations, and we are more inclined to examine our beliefs surrounding such interactions under this influence. Even if we are more likely to think about these matters in a disciplined and rational fashion due to the Mercury/Saturn influence, we are not likely to accept social structures blindly now, and the deep thought of the Mercury/Saturn trine combined with the heightened emotion of the Moon/Jupiter opposition makes it likely that whatever conclusions we come to tonight will have lasting consequences.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming one of my supporters on Patreon, where I have posted the digital art that accompanies today’s analysis here, along with some background on its creation. Not only will you get an inside look into my divinatory art, but you will also help keep this blog alive and me writing and creating art daily. I am incredibly grateful for my supporters!

Or, if you’re not into the monthly pledge thing but still want to show some support and get some art in the process, please visit my RedBubble page, where a selection of my digital art and my divinatory drawings are available printed on everything from clothing to notebooks to cellphone cases, as well as art prints. My Etsy shop is also a good place to visit for both printed art and wearables, as well as my hand-crafted herbal dream pillows. Every sale helps me to continue what I do here, and I deeply appreciate the support!

All aspect times used in creating this post are calculated for Pacific Standard Time. I tend to speak in broad terms when I reference time on this blog, referring to time-frames like “morning” or “afternoon” rather than specific times, since I still have a lot of friends on the East Coast who read these posts and I’d like them to be pertinent to those friends as well as folks here on the West Coast. Readers from further abroad will need to adjust time-frames accordingly.

Please keep in mind that we all have different responses to the aspects of the day because we all have different natal and progressed charts with which these aspects interact. If you would like to know more about your own natal and progressed charts in order to better understand how the aspects of the day will affect you, please take a look at my astrological services, and let’s get started on helping you to understand your life better! The threads of fate can only be adjusted when we start from a place of deep self-knowing.

Astrology Update, April 21st, 2017: Pacing Ourselves

21 April 2017Written by Madame Ximon0 Comments

In contrast to yesterday’s emphasis on less being more, today the skies see a flurry of activity, with two celestial bodies changing signs and both a supportive aspect and a challenging aspect of some significance.

The morning started early with a sextile from the Moon in Aquarius to Uranus in Aries, giving us a more supportive dose of the often-frenetic Moon/Uranus influence on our emotions. While this may have made for some restlessness in the early morning hours, the gently supportive nature of the sextile makes it more likely that this was of the sudden insight variety that wakes us up with a burst of energy and helps us to feel inspired even if it deprives us of a little sleep. Thoughts of the future may have blended with a healthy dose of excitement and feelings of self-sufficiency to get us off and running this morning, ready to keep pace with our newly-motivated energy as Mars enters Gemini a few minutes later.

Mars’ entry into Gemini this morning changes our energetic gears from the patient steadiness of Taurus to a modus operandi that is inquisitive and eternally on-the-move. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, and travels at similarly quicksilver speeds, interested in a multitude of subjects and communicative about them all. Mars in Gemini can make us hyperactive, running on far less sleep than normal, far too distracted by the next exciting thing around the bend to be bothered with rest, so there is a real danger of burnout during this transit, especially with Gemini’s ruler Mercury retrograding through fiery and determined Aries. We will handle this aspect best if we are mindful of our tendency to overdo things now and pace ourselves, recognizing that this energy encourages multi-tasking and taking on ALL of the interesting projects. Saying “no” is a necessary virtue to cultivate now! We are more likely to work with this energy well if we recognize that Gemini is inherently social, and therefore encourages success in team projects and endeavors that tickle our minds. Now is a time for new ideas, new endeavors, and meeting new people with whom to collaborate.

Within minutes of Mars getting his boost in speed from Gemini, the Sun in Taurus trined the North Node in Virgo, keeping our consciousness focused on what will move us forward along our soul’s path, and creating ease and flow in achieving goals that further our personal growth in the material world throughout the day. Real, practical steps on our karmic path are favored today, and we can make true progress if we tap into this state of understanding now, being mindful of the necessary details and patient with the process of our own growth. We may also gain insight regarding health concerns as a result of this aspect, and projects such as gardening and scientific research can shine today.

That said, a few minutes later Venus in Pisces squared Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius, repeating the Venus/Saturn square that got this Saturn retrograde off to such a gloomy start. With Venus direct in Pisces, we may feel not quite so isolated and shaken by this square as during its previous iterations, but still there can be a sense of thwarted connection with others today, a loneliness resulting from our own insecurities and uncertainties. Saturn is very good at putting up walls, after all, and retrograde in Sagittarius he is encouraging us to reconsider our beliefs, our faith, our optimism, and our social tendencies in relation to those things, all of which can encourage us to hold back where otherwise we would be eager to move forward. Saturn in Sagittarius squaring off against Venus in Pisces can make those walls particularly painful since Venus having turned direct in Pisces is now soft and alluring, wanting to dissolve barriers to intimacy and feel emotional unity with others after her own journey through uncertainty. This square challenges us to find ways to connect while maintaining clear boundaries, to be sensitive to our need for contact yet also protective of ourselves and those we are emotionally connected with in the face of the potentially destructive ideologies that have been this Saturn-in-Sagittarius transit’s stock-in-trade.

All of the above gave us plenty of cosmic juice to stew in for much of the morning, until a late-morning sextile from the Moon in Aquarius to Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius, giving a bit of support from our rational instincts to help us navigate our insecurities in relation to our beliefs and social urges. The Moon in Aquarius has been all about furthering our own evolution in order to further the evolution of humanity as a whole, and connecting to Saturn via the gently supportive sextile may have helped us to better navigate the lessons of the Venus/Saturn square this morning, whose influence will be felt throughout the day and into tomorrow. The Moon in Aquarius’ forward-thinking and socially active feelings may have helped for a while to ease the worries of Saturn in Sagittarius regarding pesky belief patterns while Aquarius’ classical ruler Saturn lent both seriousness and discipline to our emotions, keeping us focused and on track rather than chasing after the flights of fancy that might otherwise have been encouraged by Aquarius’ more Uranian side.

Toward midday the Moon in Aquarius sextiled Mercury retrograde in Aries, continuing this pattern of being a rational force and keeping us instinctively mindful of the long-term ramifications of our more self-concerned thoughts within the social order. This harmonious aspect encouraged us to make the kinds of plans that can benefit both ourselves and others, helping us to make our mark on the world in ways that improve the world and connect us to friends and causes that matter to us. Since this aspect started a short void-of-course period, this was a time for us to relax into our routines for a bit, allowing ourselves to process the host of lessons from the Moon’s transit through Aquarius without rushing to start any bold new ventures before our unconscious selves were ready.

The Moon entered Pisces this afternoon, turning our feelings softer, our instincts less pointed, increasing our emotional and intuitive sensitivity. During this lunar transit we are likely to be more accepting of others, more sympathetic and compassionate, and perhaps a bit more gullible as well. Our spiritual tendencies are heightened during this time, as is our need for closure in the emotional situations that no longer serve us. Though we may be more open to connecting with others under this influence, still we may find it easier to get overloaded and may find ourselves being more introverted and introspective as a result. This is a time for feeling our way through the bigger, more philosophical and spiritual questions of our lives, a time to be more in touch with Universe as a whole.

That said, within minutes of entering Pisces this afternoon the Moon squared off against Mars in Gemini, putting our extroverted energies at odds with our more introverted emotions and instincts. We may want to connect and be communicative now, but feel uncertain how, especially with the continuing influence of the Venus/Saturn square, and may become impatient with ourselves and others as a result. Mars is in the more active sign of Gemini now while the Moon is in the more passive sign of Pisces, so our aggressive side is likely to be more prominent and harsh words may be spoken, but our feelings are softer and squishier now, and we may retreat into passive-aggressive dynamics as a result. Our emotions in gentle Pisces may also be calling for a slower pace than the livelier Mars in Gemini wants to keep, and we may find ourselves feeling left behind as our world moves with uncomfortable quickness.

As a result, we may have found ourselves retreating to the comfortable and familiar as the Moon in Pisces conjuncted the South Node in the late afternoon, opposing the North Node that is still trined with the Sun, and lessons or people from our past may have confronted us during this time. We may have felt instinctively resistant to the forward progress that our conscious selves are ready to make, nostalgic for “better” times, and may have needed more time to resolve old issues before our emotions could handle the karmic demands being made of us. This afternoon was time when we may have needed a little extra gentle self-care to make it through, and some of that feeling may last into this evening.

Thankfully, the last notable aspect tonight is the Moon in Pisces sextiling the Sun in Taurus, giving us the security of our consciousness to help bolster our more fragile unconscious now. This is a time to enjoy some creature comforts, taking care of our softer side, not as an escape from our responsibilities or karmic paths but rather in order to facilitate our growth at our own pace. Our emotions can use some rest and comfort after such a hectic day, and our deep Piscean unconscious has a lot to process as we dream tonight.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming one of my supporters on Patreon, where I have posted the digital art that accompanies today’s analysis here, along with some background on its creation. Not only will you get an inside look into my divinatory art, but you will also help keep this blog alive and me writing and creating art daily. I am incredibly grateful for my supporters!

Or, if you’re not into the monthly pledge thing but still want to show some support and get some art in the process, please visit my RedBubble page, where a selection of my digital art and my divinatory drawings are available printed on everything from clothing to notebooks to cellphone cases, as well as art prints. My Etsy shop is also a good place to visit for both printed art and wearables, as well as my hand-crafted herbal dream pillows. Every sale helps me to continue what I do here, and I deeply appreciate the support!

All aspect times used in creating this post are calculated for Pacific Standard Time. I tend to speak in broad terms when I reference time on this blog, referring to time-frames like “morning” or “afternoon” rather than specific times, since I still have a lot of friends on the East Coast who read these posts and I’d like them to be pertinent to those friends as well as folks here on the West Coast. Readers from further abroad will need to adjust time-frames accordingly.

Please keep in mind that we all have different responses to the aspects of the day because we all have different natal and progressed charts with which these aspects interact. If you would like to know more about your own natal and progressed charts in order to better understand how the aspects of the day will affect you, please take a look at my astrological services, and let’s get started on helping you to understand your life better! The threads of fate can only be adjusted when we start from a place of deep self-knowing.

Astrology Update, April 20th, 2017: Back Into Darkness, and Back Into Light

20 April 2017Written by Madame Ximon0 Comments

I’ve been off the radar for the past couple of days as I wrapped up my trip to the East Coast and returned home to the Pacific Northwest. As previously mentioned, I’ve been struggling with some health issues recently, so on days when there has been enough going on in the physical world to challenge my ability to write, I’ve recently made the choice to let the writing take a back seat to practical concerns. Hopefully now that I’m back home that will be happening less often, but given the extent of the health issues that have been confronting me, I’m not making any promises for now. Though I continue to pay attention to the daily astrological activity and write and make art to the extent that I am able, Saturn and I are currently having a heated discussion about my limitations, especially regarding communication, energy, and health, and on some days I simply have to give the Lord of Karma his due. For the sake of continuity, I’ve posted my thoughts on the astrological happenings of April 18th here and April 19th here, so at least you can reflect on what has happened even if my observations are no longer so timely.

Today the activity in the skies is limited, though no less important. This morning Pluto stationed retrograde in Capricorn, emphasizing matters of complexity in our lives, along with issues of power and control, particularly in relation to hidden forces. Institutions were likely to come into focus today, especially those that can impact our livelihoods and long-term goals. During this retrograde we are asked to reconsider those long-term goals and what we do to achieve them – are the power plays that we may find ourselves in really worth it? Where do we feel in control and where do we feel out of control, and in both cases, is that control real or an illusion? How is our power dependent on others? Do we recognize the power in others and do we share our power or hoard it, fearful of it slipping away? Secrets come into play at this time – do we really know the truth of our situation, or is there information that needs to be revealed before we can proceed? Our dedication may be tested during this transit, and we may find ourselves forced to confront endings that may feel dire, the deaths of parts of our lives that we need to let go of but whose loss we haven’t yet reconciled ourselves to. We are likely to have intense internal conversations now, and may have to come to grips with denied or repressed parts of ourselves that just can’t bear to stay hidden any longer. This retrograde lasts until the end of September, so we have several months to dig deep into the darkest parts of our psyches and wrestle with our choices there.

Toward midday Mercury retrograde enters Aries, moving back into thoughts and communications centered around ourselves, our identities, and our desire to make our mark on the world. Mercury has been steadily retracing his steps through Taurus, concerned with rethinking practical matters and how we plan and communicate about what we want to manifest in the material world. Now Mercury returns to the roots of that manifestation, the personal inspiration of the youngest sign that wants to be the big damn hero, and our thoughts get a boost of newness and wonder even as we re-cover familiar ground. Our thoughts may speed up now, and we may become more impulsive, less inclined to ruminate and more inclined to race. We may find our words becoming a bit bolder again, and maybe a bit aggressive, perhaps accompanied by a dose of foot-in-mouth disease, and may wonder “didn’t we get over this already?” This portion of the Mercury retrograde transit may force us to revisit those places where our ego gets us into trouble, where our talk is just a little too big and our cunning plans for making the world our oyster haven’t been thought all the way through. The good news is that this is a time to re-think those plans, to take the time that Mercury in Aries isn’t normally inclined to take, so that when he goes direct again we really can move forward with a gusto, and yes, maybe we really can be big damn heroes.

As if to shine some lunar blessing on that plan, this afternoon saw the Moon in Aquarius trining Jupiter retrograde in Libra, giving a big dose of Jovian benevolence to our emotions and instincts, and helping us to feel as though all is right with the world, or at least if it isn’t just yet, it can be. The forward-thinking and evolutionary urges of the Moon in Aquarius combine with the social optimism of Jupiter in Libra, and allow us to blend Jupiter retrograde’s reconsideration of our relationships and social contracts and what we do to maintain them with a fervor for the attitudes and causes that give us hope. Through all the backtracking and reassessment of key areas of our lives happening during this time of four planets retrograding (Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto), there is still a lot to be happy about, and the Moon trine Jupiter helps us to feel it.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming one of my supporters on Patreon, where I have posted the digital art that accompanies today’s analysis here, along with some background on its creation. Not only will you get an inside look into my divinatory art, but you will also help keep this blog alive and me writing and creating art daily. I am incredibly grateful for my supporters!

Or, if you’re not into the monthly pledge thing but still want to show some support and get some art in the process, please visit my RedBubble page, where a selection of my digital art and my divinatory drawings are available printed on everything from clothing to notebooks to cellphone cases, as well as art prints. My Etsy shop is also a good place to visit for both printed art and wearables, as well as my hand-crafted herbal dream pillows. Every sale helps me to continue what I do here, and I deeply appreciate the support!

All aspect times used in creating this post are calculated for Pacific Standard Time. I tend to speak in broad terms when I reference time on this blog, referring to time-frames like “morning” or “afternoon” rather than specific times, since I still have a lot of friends on the East Coast who read these posts and I’d like them to be pertinent to those friends as well as folks here on the West Coast. Readers from further abroad will need to adjust time-frames accordingly.

Please keep in mind that we all have different responses to the aspects of the day because we all have different natal and progressed charts with which these aspects interact. If you would like to know more about your own natal and progressed charts in order to better understand how the aspects of the day will affect you, please take a look at my astrological services, and let’s get started on helping you to understand your life better! The threads of fate can only be adjusted when we start from a place of deep self-knowing.

Astrology Update, March 29th, 2017: Bright and Growing

29 March 2017Written by Madame Ximon0 Comments

This morning the Moon in Aries kicked off the day with a conjunction to Mercury in Aries, followed shortly by a trine to Saturn in Sagittarius, starting our morning with our thoughts and feelings both identifying with each other, merging together in pursuit of the fresh and exciting, yet having steady discipline and patience tempering what we feel thanks to Saturn. Aries is bold and adventurous and action oriented, so we may have found ourselves extra lively and alert this morning even if we aren’t normally so at that hour, with minds and feelings both bright and active, but Saturn’s sense of timing kept us from being too impulsive and though the Moon in combination with Saturn tends to increase seriousness, the flow and ease of the trine aspect kept Saturn’s influence from becoming too heavy. Since the Moon turned void-of-course with the trine to Saturn, we were best off sticking to routine for a few more hours and not getting too caught up in pursuit of the new while the morning was still young.

A few hours later the Moon entered Taurus, giving some grounding to our feelings that have been all fired up and impetuous for the past few days. Taurus is deeply practical and concerned with matters in the material world, preferring creature comforts to the heroic desires of Aries, and slows the pace of our feelings and instincts to something more steady and stable. Taurus is ruled by Venus, so our instincts now are to seek out that which we find comfortable and pleasurable. Diets tend to be more difficult to maintain under a Taurus Moon, as this sign is notoriously fond of its food, and exercise routines may suffer as well. The best way to counter that tendency is to make both diets and exercise as pleasurable as possible, and as close to habit as possible, as Taurus tends to be change-averse. Taurus likes structure and routine, and is good at giving us the persistence to stick to something, especially when that something leads to greater structure! Taurus wants things to be stable and secure, especially when it comes to financial matters, so a Taurean Moon is a great time to tend to such things. This is the time when our instincts are best utilized for getting the bills paid, making our homes more comfortable, and beautifying our environments, as Taurus’ ruler Venus gives this sign a high appreciation for art. This is a great time for making things, whether artistic or not, especially building and repairing things about the home.

Toward midday Mercury in Aries trines Saturn in Sagittarius, carrying forward the energy and liveliness of this morning’s Moon/Mercury conjunction and Moon/Saturn trine with the benefit of the more stable Taurean Moon. Our thoughts may turn serious but not negatively so – this is the kind of seriousness that encourages self-discipline and mindfulness of how to work through challenges and around obstacles to get what we want. Mercury in this aspect retains the Aries drive to achieve but gains the perspective of Saturn showing us what limitations and restrictions we need to overcome, while Saturn gains the benefit of Aries brightness and optimism keeping our understanding of our limitations from weighing us down or depressing us. Mercury in Aries can also help us bring new ideas to bear on our old beliefs, helping us to get out of some of the spiritual and philosophical ruts that Saturn has been expressing during his transit of Sagittarius. Now we have boldness of thought and insight into what needs to be done to improve our mental landscape and our lives along with it, and the seriousness to attend to it, and at the same time a measure of excitement to lift us up in the process of dealing with otherwise sobering matters. In combination with the Taurus Moon, this is the perfect time to work on solving “real world” problems that are fed by belief patterns, tackling issues that even a day ago would have seemed too big or too difficult. And since this is a planetary aspect we can expect this influence to extend into tomorrow, giving us a boost of ambition and zeal to make things happen.

This afternoon we get an additional bit of celestial help in making practical progress through the Moon in Taurus trining the North Node in Virgo, giving our materially-oriented instincts the help of the North Node’s drive to tend to the details that matter most to our souls. In many “spiritual” circles, there has all too often been a tendency to divide the spiritual and the practical, but with the North Node in earthy Virgo we have been experiencing the necessity of understanding that our souls are in a material world, and fulfilling our souls’ purposes here requires mindfulness of the material in combination with the spiritual. Today’s Moon/North Node trine gives us a boost in tending to the material matters that can affect our souls’ journey, and in combination with the Mercury/Saturn trine, this afternoon has the potential to enhance our understanding of and working through both spiritual and material matters simultaneously. Gardens can benefit especially from this influence, as well as health concerns, and this is a great time to exercise our creative capabilities. Sometimes the cosmic cycles give us something lovely to work with, and this afternoon is just such a time to enjoy.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming one of my supporters on Patreon, where I will be posting the digital art that accompanies today’s analysis a little later in the day, along with some background on its creation. Not only will you get an inside look into my divinatory art, but you will also help keep this blog alive and me writing and creating art daily. I am incredibly grateful for my supporters!

Or, if you’re not into the monthly pledge thing but still want to show some support and get some art in the process, please visit my RedBubble page, where a selection of my digital art and my divinatory drawings are available printed on everything from clothing to notebooks to cellphone cases, as well as art prints. My Etsy shop is also a good place to visit for both printed art and wearables, as well as my hand-crafted herbal dream pillows. Every sale helps me to continue what I do here, and I deeply appreciate the support!

All aspect times used in creating this post are calculated for Pacific Standard Time. I tend to speak in broad terms when I reference time on this blog, referring to time-frames like “morning” or “afternoon” rather than specific times, since I still have a lot of friends on the East Coast who read these posts and I’d like them to be pertinent to those friends as well as folks here on the West Coast. Readers from further abroad will need to adjust time-frames accordingly.

Please keep in mind that we all have different responses to the aspects of the day because we all have different natal and progressed charts with which these aspects interact. If you would like to know more about your own natal and progressed charts in order to better understand how the aspects of the day will affect you, please take a look at my astrological services, and let’s get started on helping you to understand your life better! The threads of fate can only be adjusted when we start from a place of deep self-knowing.